Hime Ball
by MisterCrazyUpstairs
Summary: Zero has to supervise the Hime Ball for the Night Class, and things take an interesting turn when he realizes his feelings for Kaname are far from hateful. Kaname/Zero Slash.


**A/N: Hime means Princess in Manga talk :) **

If there's anything worse than the members of the socially elite club known as the Night Class on Cross Academy grounds, it's a group gathering of said members for the annual Hime Ball held for traditional reasons that Zero Cross has to supervise for. The thing is, it wouldn't be half as bad if the food was good, the music was modern, and the students weren't vampires.

"Oh Zero," Yuuki huffed, fixing her hair yet again. "Try to at least lighten up a bit. For _their _sake. It's bad enough you had to bring your stupid gun, you might as well not add insult to injury."

Surveying the room from their corner, Zero said dryly, "there will be nothing of the sort from me."

Yuuki sighed again, nonplussed, but it didn't really reach her eyes. 'She's expecting him to come.' Zero mused, looking his foster-sister up and down. She was wearing some dress she must've pulled out from the Headmaster's wardrobe, was done-up and because of it she was quite stunningly beautiful. He assumed she was waiting for Kaname. Who among the Night Class wasn't waiting for their president to arrive?

"Uh... I'll be back. You'll be okay on your own, right Zero?"

Zero gave a quick, curt nod, and watched as she disappeared into the crowd of Gothic-donned students. He never felt out of place in his guardian outfit, but he hoped his appearance was at least a _bit _unnerving if anything, and by what Yuuki said (as spokeswoman of the freaks), it was. The vampires had a right to know when they were being watched by a hunter. It would keep things getting too crazy, and being guardian, that was a given threat anyway.

Seiren and Ruka were mingling by, talking to a few of the nearby students. Most of the girls were wearing long ball gowns, colors like dark red, black, and white. Mostly it seemed like more of an "insult to injury," as Yuuki had called it, than what he'd done. A vampire wearing a dress the color of blood was just a little trying. It was a good thing he'd come in retrospect.

Kain and Aido were dropping more blood tablets into the punch, trying not to act suspicious though they certainly did. Zero could tell they were wishing for more than the artificial flavor that the capsuls produced by their dejected expressions. If anyone was going to cause trouble, it'd likely be them (as Zero'd realized from previous experience) and he vowed to keep them in close check.

Out on the balacony Zero could just make out Touya and Shiki, doing nothing more than talking it seemed. In sureveyance of the floor he couldn't find Ichijo, but he wouldn't be much of a bother anyway, and Zero just continued to gaze across. Yuuki'd disappeared from her loose duties, but he didn't mind much, except for the fact she was waiting for _him_.

The ball room really was beautiful, and Zero had to give it up to the people in the Day Class that had prepared the ball. Light curtains fluttered against the wind, the marble floor was polished and shined. A table was set up on one side of the room with all the necessary food for vampires-so mainly just a punch bowl. But it did look stunning nevertheless, a fact which couldn't be ignored.

Zero'd been so wrapped up in his thoughts by then that he hadn't noticed someone come up behind him.

"Having fun then Zero?"

Zero felt his pupils dilate before he even turned around. "Kaname."

It was too much to ask that on this night he not run into the ever-egotistical enemy he'd made. It made his blood boil, and he frightened himself momentarily when he felt the heat rise to his face, felt himself becoming embarrassed. Things like these had been happening more and more when Kaname was around, and Zero sometimes couldn't stand the almost knowing look Kaname gave him. It was almost as if he knew something he shouldn't- as if he knew something even Zero didn't know about himself. He'd known about all the things that ever mattered to Zero. What could he possibly know? Where had these feelings even come from?

What was the fine line composed of that split between lust and hate?

"I'm here to make sure the vampires don't forget their place." He stated stoically, curling his hands into fists.

"Good." Kaname said, just as stoically, as if in a challenge. "I would hate for that to happen as well."

For a minute the two stood looking at each other, before Kaname turned to go, and Zero let out the breath he'd been holding.

xxx

Most of the night passed without much hassle. Ichijo and Shiki at one point had been found "feeding," or "drinking," or whatever it was they did when the thirst got to unbearable to quench. His earlier assumptions had proved to be wrong. Frankly it made Zero sick. He'd never be that. He'd never go there, never move past the stable point he resided at when he decided to stay in the Day Class. He'd never go _that _bad.

Being that it was the Hime Ball, and being that it was typical tradition for any type of Ball, they soon had to pair up. Zero had lost Yuuki in all the hustle, and he wasn't sure who she'd be dancing with, but it wasn't like it mattered much. He'd be overlooking the dancing and making sure nothing would go unseen. Hunters never slept. Who would want to dance with a bunch of parasites anyway?

It wasn't a problem, the music started, the couples began to sway and swirl, trailing intricate patterns on the marble floor, clicking their feet, moving as one. It was hypnotizing to watch. And Zero found himself looking for Kaname. Searching the pairs for him. Just curiosity, that was all. It wasn't like it was bad to want to watch him. Watch him hold someone close, lean in close, his hand on the small of their back-

"Zero?"

He didn't move. He froze watching the dresses billow, and the lean men lead. He didn't respond, he didn't turn, he didn't look like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He didn't eat the cookie either.

"There don't appear to be enough girls." Simple statement, nothing to it. He meant nothing about it. Kaname was talking to Zero about there not being enough women at the ball that required dancing. Someone would just need to sit each dance out. There was no dilemma.

"I was wondering if I could then, have this dance?"

Zero looked at Kaname. For a moment the words, 'no no no no no no no,' were on his mind. He was thinking up every insult and every disgust he'd ever had about the entire thought (not that it'd ever been his thought), but he was prepared to deliver it as coolly as he'd ever been. But he looked right into Kaname's deep brown eyes and suddenly the predator became the prey. He felt his skin go icy, Kaname waiting with a hand outstretched.

"Of course, I could see your disdain. It's mainly for the purpose of all students being on the dance floor, and I'm sure my peers would all like to see their president having fun too. It's all right if you wouldn't be inclined, I only thought since there was no one else..."

What about Yuuki? Or Ruka? Or any of the other girls Zero had witnessed taking a liking towards him? Why? Why now when he had all these questions on his mind? Trying to keep his calm, and not to make a scene, Zero dismissed all his bad thoughts- briefly- and took the hand, all the while feeling numb. When he was being led to the floor however, he came to his senses and stopped acting like a rag doll.

"Let's get this over with then."

Nothing uncommon. Nothing weird. Stuff like this happened all the time in day class. Things like this were normal, but... oh.

They twirled. They danced. Zero stared down the looks they (mainly he) was getting. It felt abnormally hot but they continued their dance. Zero tried not to lean in too close, tried not to get too comfortable. Stayed his arms distance away and danced, albeit a little rigidly, but nevertheless.

Kaname looked quite like royalty at moments like this. He was planning on saying something, anything, to get rid of the awkward tension he felt in his stomach, but then, he dipped.

He was dipped.

"Why am I the one to be dipped?" He asked with only a hint of anger.

"I'd think that would be quite obvious." Kaname answered, as they continued their dancing, meshing back in with the crowd, staying on their feet.

"Oh?"

"Zero," Kaname said, leaning close into Zero's ear, twitching away the hair with his breath. A shiver rippled through Zero but he fought it so as to not show. "This is a _Hime_ ball..."

Suddenly Zero felt himself go rigid. He pulled back. He dropped his arms as the crowd moved around him, and for some, odd reason, he sprinted to the balcony, away from Kaname and the thing he'd said that had somehow sounded true.

xxx

At night, Cross Academy was the most beautiful place on earth. It was almost ironic that the night had to be associated with something as wicked as the vampires that the school housed. Yet, Zero would never be able to get over it. The trees rustled in the night breeze, bringing smells of stars and cleanness. Above, the moon shone brighter than usual, with a dull ring around it. Zero leaned against the balcony ledge feeling angry, but passive, and not knowing how to react. Some of what Kaname said must've been true, otherwise he never would've freaked out like that. He was quite secure of his manhood in that aspect.

He had expected Kaname to follow, being the gentleman-like vampire he tried to be, being the 'big man,' so he wasn't surprised when the door clicked shut, and his hand involuntarily twitched toward where he was keeping the Bloody Rose.

"Zero, I'm sorry." He heard, stated like it was being forced, and not at all like it should've.

It stayed quiet for a while before Kaname said, "I didn't mean to offend you."

And then, "I know how sensitive to people finding out about your condition-"

"Condition?" Zero repeated, feeling his throat dry and his breath catch. Surely he couldn't mean- but then? It was, in fact, his choice to keep his "condition" a secret, as it would bring down his authority if the other vampires knew what he was... but it was no secret that Kaname knew, and they'd already had a confrontation of the like. So could Kaname be talking about what he _thought _he knew. Unrightfully.

"About... you... liking men." Kaname said.

Oh.

That was the big secret. The thing that Zero didn't know about himself but that Kaname did. That was the reason he felt like he was okay with the world for just a little bit when he was in Kaname's arms. That was the feeling in the pit of his stomach whenever Kaname looked at him or thanked him, and it was past the burning fury, and past the hate he felt towards them. All of them. Maybe it was so far into hate that it had morphed. But not just men. Not any men. Not any vampire.

Kaname. And Kaname alone.

He was speechless for such a long time that it felt like maybe the clock had stopped ticking, and the world stopped moving, but it hadn't and Kaname was just waiting. How could he ever possibly recover from this?

His mind was pulling a blank, and he missed some of Kaname's words. "-not such a big deal really, considering that you being a vampire would be much more intimidating than you liking boys. I'm sure one trumps the other here."

Zero felt his heart speed up a little when he realized that he and Kaname were all alone. That they (or really just Kaname) were conversing about the things that made Zero tick. And speaking of things that made him tick...

Kaname took a step forward. And another. Zero turned partially to watch him out of his peripheral, but would not give in. "I'm not sure how much of my advances you've noticed." The man said, each heel becoming a more pronounced sound than the last. Each step bringing him ever so closer, but not too close. It _was _still Zero.

Zero slightly shook his head. Advances. Kaname. Him. Hime. Bloody Rose. A thousand situations ran through his mind, each ending worse than the last, and finally he settled on the one which left him leaning on the balcony, pretending that the world had not just done a total one-eighty, and wishing upon wishes that Kaname meant _exactly _what he was implying.

"...But I like men too Zero. Maybe, one in particular."

Zero spun around in shock, not just shock and surprise, but longing. And Kaname was waiting to lunge into the kiss.

It was warm. And passionate. Kaname's tongue slightly parted Zero's lips and he opened them, not knowing what he was doing or why he was reacting. Their noses brushed together, falling into place. Suddenly everything was perfect. Kaname's hands fell to Zero's hips and he pulled Zero closer, craving his touch. Zero tried to refrain, but he reached up and locked his arms around the other man's neck, lightly stroking his long dark hair. It was hot then. Kaname pushed him against the stone balcony, hunger plain in his eyes when Zero pulled back to gasp for breath. Kaname pulled in, beginning to kiss Zero's neck. He was kissing, and then, he was biting. Light nips at first, but then he plunged his teeth into Zero's neck, forcing him to stifle his breath from another gasp.

It was weird when Zero didn't stop him. He felt the blood drip down his neck, into his collar, but it was more than ecstasy, more than anything he'd ever felt in his entire life. His head blossomed with blind white lights. Kaname licked him up and down, and Zero grasped at him, wriggling-feeling every sense-crying out. He knew the feeling. He'd experienced it once before. But never like this. Never this good.

Because all of the sudden, being a vampire became a good thing.

When Kaname returned for another deep kiss, Zero could taste himself, but not the dull coppery taste he'd expected, instead like some type of indescribable lifeline. It was sweet, and bitter, and he deepened the kiss inescapably so. Kaname could sense the urgency more than anything, and when they did pull away again, he could see the desire and lust in Zero's eyes, knew it was mirrored in his own. He thrust their hips together, feeling the bulge in Zero's pants, knowing what he was going to do with it.

And they could leave the Hime Ball far behind.


End file.
